Wednesday 20 July 2016

A day and night in the Dales

Sod it! We're going to have a day away from hospital appointments and try to get back to some sort of normality.

The Yorkshire Dales and a rather special watering hole at West Witton would provide the answer we were sure.
Above Hawes at the beginning of the 'Buttertubs Pass'.

'Buttertubs' with Swaledale in the distance
Weather forecast was tremendous for Tuesday, which was expected to be the hottest day of the year, in what has been a very indifferent summer to date, so we decided we would spend the day pootling around the Dales and spend the night at the 'Wensleydale Heifer'.


Another view of Swaledale on our descent.
An early start found us motoring from home to Hawes, then a left turn that took us over the Buttertubs Pass to Muker, followed by a delightful run down Swaledale to Richmond for lunch, an ancient market town that we had never visited before.

The weather was hot, very hot and we managed to find a parking spot in the shade of a tree for the Morgan while wandered off to eat our picnic.
The River Swale at Richmond

Plenty of waterfalls

Richmond Market Square with the Norman Castle in the background
Then it was just a short drive from Richmond to Leyburn and on to our overnight stay at West Witton.
Richmond

A welcome pint of Black Sheep ale
The 'Wensleydale Heifer' has quite a big reputation and it certainly lived up to that. Somewhat, quirky, at least our bedroom was, the service, cuisine and comfort was superb and the steak that we had in the crowded restaurant that evening was the best we have sampled in years. It is a place that we will return to again.
The 'Wensleydale Heifer'

Not great lovers of 'themed' bedrooms, but it was great!
With stormy weather forecast for our drive home, we set off immediately after breakfast, almost immediately experiencing very heavy rain with thunder and lightening to boot. Not a lot of water ingress into the Mog, but on what was a very fast and enjoyable drive, there was suddenly a 'ping' under my clutch pedal, rather like wire snapping which is what it turned out to be. Fortunately it did not affect the function of the clutch and investigation when we arrived home showed that the spring which ensures that the pedal is at its maximum outward position had snapped.

A phone call to Lifes at Southport confirmed this, so I have booked the car in for a replacement spring, two new king pins and greasing/oiling to cure a most annoying squeaking noise eminating from the suspension.

We have immediately started saving for that event!!!!!!!

Wednesday 6 July 2016

Norfolk Broads holiday aborted, yet again!

The twinge in my shoulder and the slight pain under my ribcage did not warrant much concern as we stopped to break the journey in Southwell, Nottinghamshire.
The Saracens Head Hotel, Southwell.
We stayed at 'The Saracens Head Hotel', an acceptable 3 star, just down the road from Southwell Minster, a magnificent building. It was the day of the Referendum and so there was much conversation over dinner that evening in the restaurant.
Southwell Minster
The following morning, after a substantial breakfast, we set off on the final leg, following the A17/A47 route we used to take when we first started visiting the Broads. I remember well my solo trip in the early 60's when I travelled overnight in my Morris 10/4 Fixed Head Coupe and the eerie feeling at 520 metres altitude, as I passed the 'Cat and Fiddle' public house, between Macclesfield and Buxton, shrouded in mist and totally dark.
Anyway, enough of this reminiscing. We had a lovely drive through the Fens and into Norfolk at Kings Lynn finally reaching our destination in the afternoon.

Our holiday cottage, 'Sailaway', situated at Barton Turf, was a well known Norfolk artist's studio in the past but had now been converted into a very desirable abode.
'Sailaway'
On Tuesday we visited Southwold in Suffolk, a lovely seaside resort almost totally dominated by the 'Adnams Brewery' and on Wednesday morning I visited the 'Museum of the Broads' of which I am a 'friend' to donate a number of books relating to the Broads from the 1950's/1960's.
The Norfolk Wherry 'Hathor' lowering sail in preparation to take on fresh water.





Cox's Boatyard, Barton Turf.

Southwold

Southwold Lighthouse


Southwold
All went well until Wednesday evening when I experienced massive and debilitating pain from those two areas that I have previously mentioned and I was rushed to the Norwich Hospital, via ambulance,with all sirens blaring and the lights flashing.

The 'Museum of the Broads'



A picture in the Museum of probably the most beautiful motor cruiser we hired...'Merrimore';p
Pleurisy and a partially collapsed lung was the final diagnosis, so on Friday, after I had been discharged, I decided that we couldn't risk our second week, not wishing to be marooned in Norfolk should anything further occur. Not that I would object to spending a considerable time in that wonderful county....but you know what I mean.

Our original plan was to travel in the Morgan, regardless of space restrictions, but we are pleased we didn't as Helen has not driven the Mog so would not have been able to share the driving on our return journey.

4/4 80th Anniversary badge
I went out in the Morgan yesterday and was looking forward to fixing my new 80th Anniversary of the 4/4 badge today, but alas the stainless fixing bracket did not fit the standard badge bar so I will have to wait until a larger one is supplied. Apart from that, excellent service from the shop/regalia section of the MSCC and I am sure that the matter will be resolved in due course.
It was resolved and the new badge looks great on the badge bar.